divan

¹

[ dih-van, -vahn dahy-van ]

noun

1. a sofa or couch, usually without arms or back, often usable as a bed.
2. a long, cushioned seat, usually without arms or back, placed against a wall, as in Asian countries.
3. a council of state in Turkey and other countries of the Middle East.
4. any council, committee, or commission.
5. (in the Middle East)
   1. a council chamber, judgment hall, audience chamber, or bureau of state.
   2. a large building used for some official or public purpose, as a custom house.
6. a smoking room, as in connection with a tobacco shop.
7. a collection of poems, especially a collection in Arabic or Persian of poems by one poet.

divan

²

[ dih-van ]

adjective

1. (especially of chicken or turkey breast) sliced and baked in a casserole with broccoli and hollandaise sauce.

divan

/ dɪˈvæn /

noun

1. 1. a backless sofa or couch, designed to be set against a wall
   2. a bed resembling such a couch
2. (esp formerly) a room for smoking and drinking, as in a coffee shop
3. 1. a Muslim law court, council chamber, or counting house
   2. a Muslim council of state
4. a collection of poems
5. (in Muslim law) an account book

Word History and Origins

Origin of divan¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Ottoman Turkish dīvān “state council,” from Arabic dīwān, from Persian dīwān, originally dēvan “booklet” (whence “account book, archive, office, council, bench”)

Origin of divan²

First recorded in 1935–40; named after its place of origin, the Divan Parisienne Restaurant, in the Chatham Hotel, Manhattan, New York; divine

Word History and Origins

Origin of divan¹

C16: from Turkish dīvān, from Persian dīwān

Example Sentences

Howard moved unsteadily to the divan in his Capitol Hill home and stared at the fire burning in the grate.

From Washington Post

I carried her to the divan, and went to look for him, but he was not in the house, and the servants were gone to bed.

From The Daily Beast

Marlon Brando yelled at the audience about dead children from a divan clad in a purple muumuu.

From The Daily Beast

Sir Lucien threw himself nonchalantly upon the divan, and took out his cigarette-case.

From Project Gutenberg

On a shelf above the divan, however, were many books, and Gwynne ran his eye over them.

From Project Gutenberg

Monte Irvin, very pale and haggard, sat upon the divan beside Quentin Gray.

From Project Gutenberg

The present Great Mogul has so little taste, that he has had this divan divided into two parts by a very paltry partition wall.

From Project Gutenberg

The rich old piano and Maud's guitar occupied one corner, and a low, velvet divan the other, on each side of the mantel.

From Project Gutenberg